Chapter 4:
How We Learn
The Heart of the Matter, The American Academy of Arts & Sciences
From pundits and politicians, we constantly hear about the need to help American students become more competitive in the “global marketplace”—code for the need to teach more math and science. While laudable, this stated goal too often has the unintended effect of deemphasizing the importance of other, equally valuable disciplines — first and foremost, the humanities. Making a spirited case for the place of the humanities in modern life, this video invites viewers to challenge some of the more conventional ways we have been taught to define a meaningful education. Composed of leaders in the arts, business, and public affairs, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences is an independent policy research center that conducts studies into current social, cultural, and intellectual issues.
Source: http://vimeo.com/68662447
Discussion and Writing Questions
After watching The Heart of the Matter, consider the questions below.
Discussion:
1. The actor John Lithgow uses the analogy of a flower to argue for the importance of the humanities: “The stem of the flower is in fact STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). But the blossom of the flower is the humanities. Without the blossom, the stem is completely useless.” What do you think of this analogy? Do you find it to be an accurate appraisal of the value of the humanities? Why or why not?
2. Another interview subject, the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, emphasizes his support for the humanities by stating: “Art is a microcosm of life.” What do you think he means by this? And how does this statement serve as a justification or defense of the humanities?
3. This video concludes with a montage of interview subjects sharing their responses to the prompt “No humanities….” Among them: “No humanities, no meaning”; “No humanities, no soul”; “No humanities, no relationships”; “No humanities, no history.” In your view, which of these responses makes the strongest case for the importance of the humanities? Why?
Writing:
4. Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns defines the value of the humanities as “what Thomas Jefferson meant when he said ‘the pursuit of happiness.’ This is not a pursuit of objects in a marketplace of things. This is a pursuit of ideas in a marketplace of our future.” Write an essay in which you identify, analyze, and assess the argument Burns is making here. What kind of contrast is he establishing by juxtaposing “things” and “ideas”? What type of “pursuit” is he suggesting the humanities involve? And do you find yourself persuaded by this vision?
5. Choose three of the people showcased in this video and write an essay comparing and contrasting the respective arguments each one makes. On what basis does each argue that the humanities are important, even essential? What are the similarities that link these arguments together? What are the differences that distinguish them?
6. Like many of the people interviewed in the video, Jonathan Kozol (“Preparing Minds for Markets,” 301) is troubled by the growing tendency to view education as nothing more than preparation for future employment. Describe the defense of the humanities you think Kozol would make in a video like this. What aspects of a humanities-based education would he endorse? What rationale or explanation would he offer in support?